Rail joint



Nov. 24, 1931.

V. C. ARMSTRONG 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 ed Sept. 10, 1950 Patented Nov. 24, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE VICTOR C. ARMSTRONG, OF HAOKENSAOK, NEW JERSE Y, ASSIGNOR TO THE RAIL JOINT COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, NZ YZ, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK nan. Jomr Application filed September 10, 1980. Serial No. 481,021.

This invention relates to rail joints of the type in which the joint bar has head clearance at its ends from the rails, head contact medially with the rails at the meetin ends of the latter, and base contact at its en s with the rail-flanges, whereby the rail ends may be elevated by drawing the joint bar inward relative to the rails and whereby energy may be stored in the joint bars by tightening the j oint 1o bolts to maintain the rail ends high and the joint tight, and the general object of the invention is to provide a rail joint of this type which is simple in construction and of economical production and maintenance cost.

Heretofore, in rail joints of the type men{ tioned, it has been the practice to form the joint bars of irregular height and section for contact with the rails in the manner stated, and this has required that the joint bars either be forged or castat relatively high expense. Accordingly, one of the special objects of the present invention is to provide a joint bar for contact with the rails in the manner stated, which bar is, or may be, of 2 uniform height and section throughout its length, whereby the same may be produced economically and with facility by simple rolling and bending operations.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, which will become more fully apparent as the nature of the invention is better un-.

derstood, the same consists in the novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts, as willbe hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and defined in the appended claims.

In the drawings, wherein like characters of reference denote corresponding parts in' the different related views Figure 1 is a side elevation of a rail joint constructed in accordance with one practical embodiment of the invention.

Figure 2 is a horizontal section through the rail joint illustrated in Fig. 1, showing the joint bars in top plan view.

. Figure 3 is a transverse section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1. l

4-4 of Fig. 1.

'Headfree type. That is to say, its head 1'0 preferably is formed for loading engagement with the head fillets 11 of the rails, and for clearance from the undersides of the rail heads. However, viewing the invention in its broader aspects, this is not essential, as the bar may be formed for head fishing contact with the undersides of the rail heads. Moreover, according to the broader aspects of the invention, the particular cross section al design of the bar is immaterial.

As will 'be noted by particular reference to Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings, the end portions 6, b of the bar B are offset or defiected downward and outward so that when the bar is operatively engaged with the rails, only the medial portion of the head 10 takes loading engagement with the head fillets 11 of the rails and a clearance space12 exists at the ends of the bar between the head thereof and the head fillets of the rails, while the base 13 of the bar usually takes fishing contact throughout its length with the upper faces of the base flanges 14 of the rails. Consequently, by properly manipulating the oint bolts to draw the bar inward with respect to the rails, the ends of the latter obviously may be elevated and a bending moment may be imposed on the ends of the bar to store energy therein to maintain the joint tight.

Either in the same operation with the production of the present bar. or subsequently to such operation. the ends of the bar are offset or deflected downwardly and outwardconnection, of course, that the amount of downward and outward deflection of the ends I of the bar is determined by'the' angularity of the upper surfaces of the rail flanges so that the base of the bar may have continuous contactwithsaid surfaces as stated. vThus, the present bar, possesses all of the characteristics and. all of the advantages of the prior art bar heretofore mentioned which is capable only of being forged or cast, and in addition possesses the advantages that it may be produced as a new bar by a simple rolling and bulldozing process.

Without further description it is thought that the features and advantages of the in vention will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and it will of course be understood that changes in the form, proportion and minor details of construction may be resorted to, without departingfrom the spirit of the invention and scope of the appended claims.

I claim 1. In a rail joint. the rails, and a joint bar of uniform height throughout its length having head clearance at its ends .from the rails, medial head contact with the rails, and

base contact with the railflanges.

base contact with the rail flanges, said liar being inclusive of a foot flange having a medlal portion extending farther outward than portions to either side of said medial medial and said-end portions, respectively.

8. A rail joint including the rails, and a joint bar provided with a medial head portion having a loading-engagement solely with the head fillets of the rails, and with end portions having clearance at the head from the rails and at the ,base having a bearing engagement with the upper sides of the rail flanges.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature.

VICTOR G. ARMSTRONG.

2. In a railjoint, the rails, and a joint bar of uniform height and cross-sectional area throughout its length having head clearance at its ends from the rails, medial head contact with therails, and base contact with the rail flanges. p

3. In a rail joint, the rails, and a joint bar of uniform height throughout its length deflected downwardly and outwardly at its ends to provide head clearance at its ends from the rails and base contact at its ends with the rail flanges, the medial portion of the head of said bar having loading engagement with the rails.

4. In a rail joint, the rails, and a joint bar of uniform height throughout its length deflected downwardly and. outwardly at its ends to provide head clearance at its ends from the rails and base contact at its ends with the rail flanges. the'medial portion of the head of said bar having loading engagement with the head fillets of the rails and head clearance from the underside of the rail heads.

5. In a rail joint, the rails, and a joint bar a of uniform height and cross-sectional area throughout its length deflected downwardly and outwardly at its ends to provide head clearance at its ends from the rails and medial head contact with the rails, the base of said bar having contact throughout its length with the base flanges of the rails.

6. In a rail joint, the rails, and a joint 

